This proposal for the Center for Study and Prevention of Drug Use is submitted by Morgan State University and seeks funding under the PAR-02-016 mechanism in response to the PA entitled "Minority Institutions'Drug Abuse Research Development Program" (MIDARP). The proposed Center will be an inter-institutional collaborative effort involving Morgan State University, a minority institution, and research intensive universities and programmatic initiatives that focus on and specialize in research on drug use and disparities associated with drug use. The Center seeks to build on the collaborative relationships established through the Center to increase the capacity of Morgan State, its faculty and its students to conduct rigorous drug use research with and emphasis on drug use epidemiology, public health, and health disparities related to drug use. In order to actualize the mission of the Center, four components were developed which address the necessary aspects of creating a drug use research center. 1) The Faculty Development Plan, which seeks to advance Morgan faculty by allowing them to engage in off-site collaborative research with individuals specializing in drug research. 2) A second aspect is the Student Development Plan, which seeks to expose, educate and, train minority students in the area of drug use research. 3) The research arm of the project includes a primary and four developmental pilot project, allowing researchers at Morgan to begin using their present expertise and investigating topics in the area of drug use and disparities related to drug use. 4) Overseeing, each of the areas is the proposed plan for the Administrative Units and Center Organization. Through this component collaborative relationships, research projects, and faculty and student development will be monitored and enhanced. As a result of the Center faculty at Morgan State will be further enhanced regarding their ability to conduct rigorous research independently, specifically submitting R01's. Further, Morgan will be sufficiently capable of training students for careers in drug use research by developing a structured program in drug research, and the administrative staff will have the skills necessary to support the research staff in all endeavors related to research projects. In sum, the Center will be;self-sustaining and capable of producing future research focused on drug use research.